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Being obese and commuting by car can be a deadly mix, a new study warns. Researchers analyzed data on more than 163,000 adults, aged 37 to 73, in the United Kingdom. The participants were followed for an average of five years. Compared to people of normal weight who walked or cycled to work (active commuters), those who were obese and commuted by car had a 32% higher risk of early death from any cause; twice the risk of dying from heart disease; and a 59% higher risk for non-fatal heart disease. Obesity was defined by the researchers as having a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. As an example, a person who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall weighing 204 pounds has a BMI of just over 30. The study also found that overall risk of early death among obese people who were active commuters was similar to that for active commuters whose weight was normal. That suggests cycling or walking to work could reduce the harmful effects of obesity. However, the risk of heart disease was still 82% higher for obese active commuters than for normal-weight active commuters, researchers said. “Our findings, if causal, suggest that people with overweight or obesity could potentially decrease the risk of premature mortality if… read on >

Obliques are the muscles that run along the sides of your torso, from the lower eight ribs to the front of the hip bone. They contract when you rotate your torso, so a great way to develop them is with an exercise called the Russian twist. Lie flat on the floor in a spot where you can tuck your feet under a low piece of furniture to keep them from moving or have a workout buddy hold them in place for you. Bend your knees and raise your upper body to make a V-shape with your thighs. Extend your arms in front of you from the shoulders, lifting them until they’re parallel with your thighs, hands together. Tighten your abdomen — think of trying to bring your navel to your spine. Now twist your entire upper body, arms included, to the right side. Hold, then return to start. Repeat to the left. That’s one full repetition. Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps in all. As you get more advanced, you can hold a weight in both hands for added resistance. One type of weight that’s easy to hold is the medicine ball. This is a weighted ball, not the kind of inflated exercise ball that you might sit on for balance exercises. Choose a weight that slows down your movement. Each rep should… read on >

Daily exercise may be the ideal, but even weekend workouts might prolong your life, a new study suggests. In a study of more than 3,400 men and women over age 40, researchers found those who exercised one or two days a week had the same low death rates as those who exercised more frequently. “One of the main concerns to increasing physical activity is limited time, particularly multiple days a week,” said lead researcher Eric Shiroma. He’s a staff scientist and epidemiologist at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. At the study’s start, participants wore activity monitors for a week. The researchers classified them as “weekend warriors” if they exercised only one or two days a week, or as regularly active folks who spread their exercise out over the week. All were tracked for about six years. Although the regular exercisers had about 50% more moderate and vigorous workouts than the weekend exercisers, the health benefits were similar. “We found that weekend warriors had a similar mortality benefit compared to more frequent exercisers,” Shiroma said. The weekend warriors had health benefits similar to those who met goals set out in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans — at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week, he said. However, this study can’t prove that it was exercise that reduced death rates, said Dr.… read on >

Flexibility in your upper body is important for many everyday activities you take for granted, like twisting and turning while backing out of a parking space. Try these three stretches to help keep your upper body agile. They don’t require any special equipment and can even be done in your office. Neck stretch: Do this easy stretch either standing or sitting in a chair. Slowly turn your head to the left until you feel a slight pull. Make sure the position feels comfortable, but don’t tilt your head forward or backward. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, return to center and repeat to the right, again holding for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the full movement three times. Shoulder and arm stretch: Next, grab a small towel. Raise your right arm over your head, holding the towel so that it falls along the center of your back. Grab the other end of the towel with your left hand and slowly tug until you feel a slight stretch. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat three to five times, then switch hands and repeat. Wall walk: “Walking” up a wall with your hands stretches your chest. Stand facing a wall, with your legs and arms shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, walk your hands up the wall until they’re above the level of your head. Hold… read on >

No matter your fitness level, adding just a little more exercise may prolong your life, new research suggests. “People think they have to start going to the gym and exercising hard to get fitter,” said researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak, from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm. “But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. For most people, just being more active in daily life — taking the stairs, exiting the metro station early, cycling to work — is enough to benefit health since levels are so low to start with,” she said. “The more you do, the better.” Ekblom-Bak and her colleagues looked at more than 316,000 adults in Sweden, aged 18 to 74, whose heart-lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness was assessed between 1995 and 2015. Participants rode a stationary cycle to determine the maximum amount of oxygen the heart and lungs can provide the muscles during exercise, a measure called VO2 max. Overall, the risk of all-cause death and death from cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke fell 2.8% to 3.2% for each milliliter increase in VO2 max. The benefits of increased activity were seen in men and women, in all age groups, and at all fitness levels. The study was to be presented Friday at a European Society of Cardiology meeting, in Lisbon, Portugal. Such research is considered preliminary until… read on >

Faith-based fitness is on the rise, according to trend-watchers at the American Council on Exercise, with many churches, mosques, synagogues and temples developing programs that promote health and wellness. From exercise classes to nutrition advice and health coaching, congregants can enhance their physical as well as their spiritual well-being. More than just another fitness fad, research has found an explanation for the spirituality-wellness connection: The strong sense of community in faith-based programs can lead to fitness success. That’s especially true when they include partnerships with health organizations, local hospitals, medical schools and other access to medical experts, and when they promote positive behavioral changes and supportive social relationships. These programs can instill a commitment among participants that exceeds that of a commercial diet group, for instance. Studies show that traditional houses of worship tend to offer more disease screening and health education activities, while more modern ones tend to offer disease prevention and lifestyle activities to the community at large. At their core, all such programs address fitness and health issues in a spiritual environment that may make it easier to change habits because of congregants’ belief in their church’s role in promoting health along with the ability to deepen bonds with fellow congregants. If your religious institution offers exercise classes, consider the role they can play in achieving your fitness goals and take the… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A tragedy can happen in any swimming pool without proper supervision, says Intermountain Healthcare. Following water safety guidelines can prevent children from drowning. Intermountain Healthcare urges parents to: Always watch children who are in the water. Be alert. Learn infant and child CPR. Have a phone nearby in case of emergency. Never leave children alone or with siblings. Enclose a pool inside a fence. Teach children to swim.

Young sports buffs recovering from mononucleosis may be itching to return to the game they love. But one expert says the risk of suffering a burst spleen during play means staying on the sideline longer than some would like. Along with extreme fatigue, sore throat, fever and swollen glands, “mono” causes spleen enlargement. That can be dangerous for athletes because the impacts and pressure on the abdomen that occur during many sports can cause the spleen to burst. “It’s rare — occurring in less than 0.5% of patients — but an infected athlete can rupture their spleen without warning within 21 days after symptoms begin,” said Dr. Lindsay Lafferty, a primary care sports medicine physician at Penn State Health. “The rate declines after four weeks, but ruptures have occurred up to eight weeks after an athlete first notices symptoms,” she noted in a Penn State news release. Determining the risk of a spleen rupture is challenging. Because the normal size of a spleen fluctuates, ultrasounds and CT scans won’t help determine if the organ is enlarged or at risk of rupture, Lafferty said. “Physical examination of spleen size identifies as few as 17% of cases, so deciding when the time is right for a student athlete to return to play can be complex,” she explained. For athletes, protective equipment such as flank jackets or protective… read on >

(HealthDay News) –Horseback trail riding is a fun, leisure activity for many Americans. However, it is important to follow rules for trail safety, says the Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources. It encourages people to: Wear a helmet and appropriate footwear. If your horse kicks, tie a red ribbon in its tail. Do not bring unruly horses on public trails. Ride in groups. Carry a trail map and cellphone.

Are you neglecting or even unaware of the muscles in your back? If so, you’re putting yourself at risk. The trapezius is the diamond-shaped muscle that runs from neck to middle back and from shoulder to shoulder across the back. The latissimus dorsi — or “lats” — are the large back muscles that run from either side of the spine to your waist. Here are two strength-training exercises that will help you develop these muscles for better upper body fitness. Important: Start with a weight that allows you to complete at least eight reps with proper form, perhaps as low as 2-pound dumbbells. Build up to 10 to 15 reps for one complete set, and progress from one to three complete sets before increasing the weight. Never jerk the weights — controlled, steady movement is what brings results. Standing dumbbell rows target the trapezius muscles as well as the upper arms and shoulders. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, with a weight in each hand. Your elbows should be slightly bent, the dumbbells touching the fronts of your thighs, palms facing your body. As you exhale, use a slow, controlled movement to lift the weights straight up by bending the elbows up and out to bring the weights to shoulder level. Hold for a second, then inhale as you lower your arms to the starting position.… read on >